First off, I have a 97 tj sport with 3.07 gears stock. Decided to throw some 33's on there with a lift. Not that money is too tight but it's more that I can't find an 8.8 or d44 which brings me to my question. I found a Dana 35 for sale with 4.10 gears, locker and new axle shaft built by Moab offroad in Indy for 300 bucks. I've done my research and seems that noone likes them,BUT! I mainly drive the jeep on the road with the occasional offroading but not climbing up the face of a mountain by any stretch of the imagination. Right now I just drive my jeep to work,school and back..then we take my gf's car everywhere..and I mean everywhere just due to the fact I'm limited right now such as...non highway places (does really crappy on the highway) sooo, is the Dana 35 with only 2500 miles on it (been sitting for a year) worth the 300? Or should I hold off? Any insight would be helpful. I'm leaning toward buying it but a friend said to save your money... Thanks a bunch. Semper Fi

Cheaper than regearing your 35, but for 33's 4.56 is usually about what you need. You would still have to regear the front, and you might as well get the right gearing. Figure a regear is 12-1600 for both axles. Auto or manual? 300 sounds like a good price to me but its a 35, though still cheaper than regaring a 35.

I have a D35, 33s, and a manual trans. Havent had any problems so far. Like you i havent done anything too serious off road. Mainly because there is nothing in the corn field ridden area of northern illinois. The main complaint i hear about the D35 is that you shouldnt put a locker on them. But as long as you're not doing anthing too serious you should be fine.

If you want 33's you should run 4.56's with the 4.0 and the manual tranny. The regear makes a world of difference. 4.10 is not enough.

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Save your money, a better deal will come along. I waited and got an 8.8 with 4.10s and a Detroit with an already regeared D30 for the front for a great price. All I had to do was bolt 'em in. BTW, 4.10s are fine for 33" tires but no bigger.

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Save your money, a better deal will come along. I waited and got an 8.8 with 4.10s and a Detroit with an already regeared D30 for the front for a great price. All I had to do was bolt 'em in. BTW, 4.10s are fine for 33" tires but no bigger.

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4.10s are still going to be low. 4.56 is the tried and true gear ratio for 33s.

OP, save your money. You can get an 8.8 and HPD30 from east coast gear supply fully built and ready to bolt in for just over 2000 with the correct gears. Plus you can sell the old axles for a couple hundred. Save your money some more and do it right.

It is not about where you drive it is about getting your Wrangler to as close as possible to OEM specs. When the tire size is increased to 33" and your Wrangler has the 4.0L and a manual transmission 4.56 is as close to OEM as you can get.

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License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote.

It is not about where you drive it is about getting your Wrangler to as close as possible to OEM specs. When the tire size is increased to 33" and your Wrangler has the 4.0L and a manual transmission 4.56 is as close to OEM as you can get.

Yeah, I understand that. The correct gearing for 33" and a 4.0 would be something like 4.40 (ballpark). So 4.56 is as close as you can get. But...if you spend more time on the highway at say 70-75mph then you will get at 3000+rpm

So, by having 4.10s you can lower that to around 2000, which will give better mpg.

Yeah, I understand that. The correct gearing for 33" and a 4.0 would be something like 4.40 (ballpark). So 4.56 is as close as you can get. But...if you spend more time on the highway at say 70-75mph then you will get at 3000+rpm

So, by having 4.10s you can lower that to around 2000, which will give better mpg.

*If you plan on doing wheeling you should get 4.56 though...

You are actually dogging your engine at 2k. The 4.0 was desined to run at 2500-3000 rpm. 2700 rpm is where mine runs at 70mph. I do not drive over 70.

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License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote.

those guys do a great job from what i hear. Plus they're not too expensive. If you don't have fab tools then they are a great way to go.

x2

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License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote.

I had a Dana 35...makes a good paper weight. I have 33's, 410's (2250 @ 65) and replaced with 44's and chrome-moly axles. I am easy on equipment...so if you don't go offroad maybe the 35 will hold up if not 44's are the MINIMUM.

I justs orderd my 8.8 from ecgs and it was $1,010 shipped. I was gonna go to the junk yard and pick on up but they wanted $400, plus u still have to buy the brackets, so i just payed a bit more and got a bolt in axle,im glad i did! I got my 8.8 with 4.10's and i already have a HP D30 in the garage that im workin on with 4.10's.

I justs orderd my 8.8 from ecgs and it was $1,010 shipped. I was gonna go to the junk yard and pick on up but they wanted $400, plus u still have to buy the brackets, so i just payed a bit more and got a bolt in axle,im glad i did! I got my 8.8 with 4.10's and i already have a HP D30 in the garage that im workin on with 4.10's.

nick50471 said "You are dogging your engine at 2000 rpms". Mine cruises at 1950 rpms at 55 mph. Are you saying if I get my rpms higher at cruise speed, I will get more than the 18 mpg I'm getting now?

No you will not get better MPG.

Jerry B does a much better job of explaining this then I do.

If you are in 5th gear and going 65-70 mph and only turning 2000rpm you are under geared. Your engine has no power that low in rpm and will not pull hills or give you passing power.

I am running 4.56's and 33"s at 65 I am turning 2500rpm in 5th gear. I have much more power to pass or pull hills.

Dogging your engine wastes fuel because it is not running efficiently.

2000rpm at 55mph sounds about right.

__________________
License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote.